As I’ve previously mentioned, many fictional characters are as reluctant to resort to therapy as Americans are to use the metric system. These characters instead resort to ad-hoc self-treatments that are about as dubious as measuring radiation in terms of bananas. But there are still a few fictional characters who embrace therapy. You might be interested in the following five works that feature psychological counseling.
Satan: His Psychotherapy and Cure by the Unfortunate Dr. Kassler, J.S.P.S. by Jeremy Leven (1982)
A series of unfortunate events, not least of which is his father’s death, lead Sy Kassler to the uncomfortable realization that he has done little good with his life so far. He vows to change. He earns a medical degree and will now be able to serve by providing the needy with psychological therapy.
Few require therapy quite as badly as Satan, who sees in Dr. Kassler the sympathetic ear that Satan craves. Dr. Kassler sees in Satan a desperate person to whom he might minister. Who knows what benefits will come from therapy?
The title is kind of a giveaway that whatever good therapy did for Satan, it did no good at all for Kessler.
Queen of Angels by Greg Bear (1990)
Thanks to nanotechnology, 2048 is a year of tranquil abundance. Therapy in particular has flourished. Nanotherapy transforms otherwise miserable people into content, productive members of society. Social ills once common are now rare. However, as Emmanuel Goldsmith’s eight murder victims could attest (were they not too dead), rare does not mean non-existent.
Why would a respected poet commit murder? Doctor Burke plans to determine the answer. To do so, he will have to delve deep into the dangerous landscape of Goldsmith’s mind.
Some readers may wonder if therapy and conversion into a placid worker bee is mandatory in the USA of 2048. It is not! Law-abiding citizens are free to be as miserable and maladjusted as they like, provided they don’t mind being relegated to second-class status.
From the Notebooks of Doctor Brain by Minister Faust (2007)
Many issues divide the members of the Fantastic Order of Justice. Triumphing over their enemies has given the FOOJ members an opportunity to understand just how much they loathe each other. The bickering becomes pronounced enough that all six members are ordered by their bosses to submit to mandatory therapy with Doctor Brain.
Guiding superheroes to admit their issues will be difficult. Guiding superheroes towards constructive action will be even more challenging.
Doctor Brain will have to work fast. A unkillable superhero is slain. The obvious suspects? Doctor Brain’s FOOJ patients.
Doctor Brain has another challenge facing her: it’s not at all clear that she’s any good at her job. On the plus side, being a lousy therapist with little hope of resolving her patients’ issues could be a guarantee of lifetime employment.
Of course, given the nature of her clients, that lifetime could be quite short.
Final Girls by Mira Grant (2017)
Jennifer Webb’s groundbreaking virtual reality-based treatment program could revolutionize therapy—if Webb can convince the world of her creation’s utility. Webb takes a calculated risk by seeking out professional debunker Esther Hoffman. All Webb needs to do is convince hard-core skeptic Hoffman that Webb’s methods work.
After considerable due diligence, Hoffman submits to Webb’s VR. A small complication presents itself: An industrial spy is determined to steal Webb’s research and to silence Webb herself. With Hoffman and Webb immersed in Webb’s virtual world, nothing could be easier than murdering scientist and journalist. At least, so it appears to the would-be killer.
Grant’s novel provides claustrophobic tension in spades. It’s best, having read it, to avoid thinking about just how helpless sleeping people are…particularly when one is preparing for bed.
The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen (2019)
When struggling student Caleb provides a classroom bully with a well-deserved beating, the result is not universal accolades from a long-suffering world, or even a supportive pat on the head from approving teachers. Instead, Caleb is ordered into therapy with Doctor Bright.
Doctor Bright believes she has found the real reason for Caleb’s misery: Caleb has a bona fide superpower. He is a telepathic empath. What he lacks is control; that lack leaves him awash in other people’s emotions. Doctor Bright guides Caleb toward mastering his ability. This effort is successful but it leads to unforeseen consequences.
Unlike other mentors I could mention, Bright is interested in helping her patients rather than weaponizing superpowers. This may explain why the novel is less like Doom Patrol or X-Men than Netflix’s Sex Education.
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No doubt examples abound that are not listed above. If I missed one of your favorites, feel free to mention it in comments below.
In the words of fanfiction author Musty181, four-time Hugo finalist, prolific book reviewer, and perennial Darwin Award nominee James Davis Nicoll “looks like a default mii with glasses.” His work has appeared in Interzone, Publishers Weekly and Romantic Times as well as on his own websites, James Nicoll Reviews (where he is assisted by editor Karen Lofstrom and web person Adrienne L. Travis) and the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Aurora Award finalist Young People Read Old SFF (where he is assisted by web person Adrienne L. Travis). His Patreon can be found here.
